Quebecers are no longer an uneducated people. However, some of our political and cultural leaders behave as if we still are.
The statistics from the Quebec government are striking. In 1990, approximately 62% of the population aged 25-65 had no diploma or only a secondary diploma. Only 10% had a trade school diploma, 12% a CEGEP diploma and 15% a university diploma.
In 2024, less than 25% of Quebecers aged 25 to 65 have no diploma or only have a high school diploma. Nearly 37% of Quebecers in this age group have received a university diploma, 21% have a CEGEP diploma and 17% have a trade school diploma. Consequently, nearly 75% of Quebecers are highly educated.
Compared to other OECD countries, Quebec and Canada rank extremely well in terms of the education level of their population.
In 30 years, Quebec has made giant progress.
The goal is not to praise Quebec’s performance. It is possible to put a multitude of downsides to it. Thus, certain diplomas are easier to obtain than 30 years ago.
- Listen to international politics expert Loïc Tassé on Benoit Dutrizac’s show via QUB :
Underestimated Quebecers
Nevertheless, it is obvious that the Quebec population is much more educated than before. However, it is not treated as such.
Previously, politicians spoke to voters who were much less educated than themselves. This is no longer the case. Voters are often as educated as, if not more than, them. Budgetary or environmental stupidities no longer pass.
The same remark applies to artists. Much of the population is now as educated as them, if not more. Bold humor is less popular. The loose language and the miserabilist themes too.
Many politicians and artists have not understood this social change, nor the loss of prestige it entails, especially for those who persist in believing that Quebecers are poorly educated. The audience for these is shrinking every year.
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Some people are surprised that Quebecers are slowly turning away from more traditional media. The proximity of social networks has something to do with it. However, does old media programming meet the expectations of the new majority of the population? We can sometimes doubt it.
Rather than starting from the false principle that Quebecers are uneducated and uninterested in more complex subjects, it is better to know that Quebecers are cultured and curious.
Despite the criticisms that we are often a little too quick to level at ourselves, no doubt as a result of the conquest and contempt for English Canada, our progress shows that we are intelligent and smart. This is not necessarily the case for some of our leaders.
But with such advances in our level of education, time seems to be running out for those who are no longer keeping up with our progress.